Louisiana Lawmaker Tried To Add Senate Bill Which Included Age And Weight Limit For Strippers

A bill was proposed and then quickly pulled in the Louisiana House on Wednesday, and it’s one that many likely didn’t expect to ever see. The bill would have put a few requirements on strippers in Louisiana and stated that they could be no older than the age of 28 and could weigh no more than 160 pounds.

The stripper bill was brought into discussion by state Rep. Kenneth Harvard, R-Jackson, and it did not please many others in the House. Rep. Julie Stokes, R-Kenner, said that she has “never been more repulsed to be a part” of the Legislature after hearing the proposal.

The proposed bill arrived on Wednesday evening, and WBRZ is reporting that it was withdrawn before the House even had a chance to vote on it. The requirements actually went a bit further and the official language stated that strippers would have to be between the ages of “twenty-one and twenty-eight years of age.”

Needless to say, the proposed amendment is not being met with very positive responses on Thursday.

House Speaker Barras says Rep. Havard exhibited a “lack of judgment” in proposing the strip club amendment. #lalege

At the same time, the House is calling for some kind of response from Harvard as he shouldn’t have proposed the bill in the first place. Unfortunately, nothing came from Harvard as he was not present for Thursday’s meetings.

House Speaker Barras says Rep. Havard not here because he had a “company event” to attend. Barras says Havard should apologize. #lalege

Harvard has said he has no intentions on apologizing as he doesn’t believe he was trying to treat women any differently than men.

As Harvard pulled the amendment from discussion, the state House did unanimously approve the bill that will raise the minimum age for exotic dancers. All those wishing to be in the stripping profession in Louisiana will have to be at least 21 years old.

That bill was passed by the state’s House by a vote of 96 to 0.

Associated Press reporter Melinda Deslatte said that Harvard’s amendment was on the floor for just several minutes, but a number of jokes began being made. As more started coming about, he pulled the amendment completely.

[Photo by Scott Barbour/Getty Images]Harvard is a Republican who represents some parishes in East Feliciana, West Feliciana, and East Baton Rouge. Once he withdrew his amendment, he tried to simply say that it was all a joke and he was simply trying to “poke at over regulating everything.”

He continually tried to joke his way out of it.

“It was aimed at both men and women. I can’t strip either. I’m a little overweight.”

Others in the House did not think Harvard was being humorous at all.

A few laughed here and there, according to The Times-Picayune, but others were obviously repulsed by the amendment. Julie Stokes took to the floor and made sure to let her true feelings known as she could not “even believe the behavior. I hear derogatory comments about women, I see women get treated differently than men. That was utterly disrespectful and disgusting.”

[Photo by Scott Barbour/Getty Images]While trying to make the situation a bit lighter, some other legislators did leave dollar bills on the desk where reporters sit.

State Rep. Kenneth Harvard, R-Jackson, proposes a bill that many feel lacked a lot of judgment and should be something he’s embarrassed by. His absence from hearings on Thursday is said to be due to a “company event,” but many are looking for him to apologize for saying that strippers in Louisiana should have required age and weight limits.